1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-eye image pickup device which enables to panoramic image capturing and stereoscopic image capturing.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Recently, digital cameras for converting subject light captured by a solid state imaging element such as a CCD image sensor into digital image data and recording the image data in a storage medium such as a built-in memory and a memory card are in widespread use. As one of such digital cameras, a multi-eye image pickup device (so-called stereo camera) having plural imaging optical systems and solid state imaging elements is known.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-120527 discloses a digital camera which has two pairs of an imaging optical system and a solid state imaging element and performs normal image capturing, panoramic image capturing and stereoscopic image capturing by changing an angle between the imaging optical systems. In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-298919 discloses a digital camera which has two imaging optical systems whose focal lengths are different from each other and two solid state imaging elements whose pixel densities are different from each other, and enables high power and seamless zooming by changing a combination of the imaging optical system and the solid state imaging element used together.
However, in the digital camera of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-120527, each of two lens barrels containing each imaging optical system needs to be manually rotated for changing an angle between the imaging optical systems. Accordingly, there is a problem of operation ability. In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-298919 does not disclose the panoramic image capturing and the stereoscopic image capturing.